Curtain-stretcher



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

' E. B. LEARY.

CURTAIN STRETCHER.

No. 600,205. Patented Mar. 8,1898.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. E.B.LEARY.

CURTAIN STRBTGHER.

No. 600,205. Patented Mar. 8,1898.

STATES ATENT FFicE.

CURTAlN-STRETCHER.

$PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 600,205, dated March8, 1898.

Application filed August 14, 1897. Serial No. 648,285. (No model To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. LEARY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ourtain-Stretchers;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements ininventions designed for use in tentering lace curtains, blankets, woolenmats, or any other fabric; and in carrying out my invention it is mypurpose to provide first a suitable adjustable frame, to which thecurtain or other article to be stretched is fastened ,and then apply theframe to a stretching-rack, whereby the frame may be held thereto andadjusted so as toallow the article to be stretched on all its edges.

More especially the invention resides in the provision of a frameworkmade up of separate pieces, each piece being provided with a stripcontaining points upon which the fabric is to be held while the ends ofthe frame are adj ustably held by means'of cam-lever clamps and afterbeing adjusted applying the frame to a rack consisting of parallelstrips separated on upright posts and designed to receive channeledtrusses in which projections on the said frame are held while suitabletighteningscrews are connected with one of the trusses in order tostretch the fabric in a manner which will be hereinafter morespecifically described and then clearly defined in the appended claims.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the sameconsists, further, in the novel construction,combination, and adaptationof the parts, as will be clearly illustrated in the drawings forming apart of this specification.

My invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which,with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisapplication, and in which drawings similar letters of reference indicatelike parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is aperspective View showing my curtain holding frame as applied to thestretching-rack. Fig. 2 is a View showing the curtain-holding framesupported on detachable legs when it is desired to adapt the frame foruse in simply holding the article in a taut condition, when it is notnecessary to apply it to the stretching-frame, in which adj ustedposition it may be used, if desired, as a quilting-frame. Fig. 3 is adetail view of one of the clamping members having a camlever pivotedthereto. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4c of Fig. 1.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates portions of the frame, which are connected by suitablespindles A with the strips B, the longitudinal faces of which strips areat right angles with the portions A. Each of the said portions A israbbeted in order to receive the strips (1, which strips are made of anysuitable material, preferably of caoutchouc, in which small holes aredrilled to receive the pins 0, which after being driven in place aresecurely held by the material in which they are embedded, bindingtightly against the same, which material is not affected byohanges inthe atmos phere and will not shrink or expand as would be the case ifwood were employed. At the ends of the said portion and strip, which aredesigned to abut against the longitudinal side of a similar pair ofstrips, is secured a fender D, consisting of a metallic strip facingover the ends thereof, which will prevent the ends of the strips fromsplitting under strain. Each set of strips comprising the frame issimilarly constructed, and at the ends thereof is secured the clampedmembers E, which carry at their outer ends the pivoted cam-levers F,which are provided to lock the two sets of stripstogether at their endsas the handle is swung, so that the cam will engage against the outerlongitudinal side of a strip B, thus holding the corner of the frame ina fixed position. A projection on the bottom of each lever comes overthe outside strip B and prevents the same from tipping up when understrain. On the under side of each clamped member is a projection E,adapted to telescope within the socket or ferrule on the leg E when itis desired to adapt the frame for use merely in holding the fabric inadapted to receive pins g.

a taut relation when it is not desired to apply the frame to thestretcher. In this ad justed relation the frame may be used as aquilter, if desired.

After the curtain or other fabric to be stretched is carried over thestrips carrying the pins, which strips are seated in recesses in theportions A, the frame may be applied to the stretching-rack, which rackconsists of parallel and horizontally-disposed strips G, each of whichhas a series of perforations g, On these strips are secured thechanneled trusses H, made up of a horizontal base-piece, on which aresecured the two upright portions II, leaving a sufficient space betweenthe same to receive the downwardly-projecting castings on thecorner-clamps, whereby one set of strips of the frame may be held to thesaid truss, which is held from longitudinally moving on the strips G bymeans of the said pins g, which are to be inserted in apertures in thesaid strips and against which the said truss is adapted to bear in thestretching-post. At the opposite ends of the said strips G is asimilarly-constructed truss, which is designed to 'move longitudinallythereon and has cleats on its under edge in order to guide it on thesaid strips. On the outer or front side of the said movable truss arepivoted in the lugs K by means of pins K the screws M, which are passedthrough apertures in the upright supports of the stretching-rack andcarry the turning-handles N thereon, whereby as the said handles areturned against the upright post on the screws the movable truss may bedrawn outward. Before the stretching is begun, in order to stretch thecurtain or other fabric the clamping members on diagonally oppositecorners are loosened in order to allow for the stretching of the fabricin one direction.

It will be noticed that the outer strips B of the frame will affordmeans whereby the sections of the frame may be easily handled withoutthe apparatus coming in contact with the points on which the fabric isto be held.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a curtain or other fabric stretcher, the strips A and B, thecaoutchouc or other strips seated in recesses therein, theretaining-pins held in said seated strip, combined with the clampingmembers secured to the strips A and B, the cam-lever pivoted thereto andadapted as it is turned to cause the longitubedded therein, the clampmembers E connected to the ends of strips A and B and forming a supportfor the ends of a frame-section while being adjusted, the fender-strips,the cam-lever pivoted at the outer end of each clamp, a lug orprojection on the under side of each lever, which lug is designed tobear against the upper edge of a strip B, as the lever is swung in, andthe stretching-rack on which the frame is held, substantially as setforth.

3. In a' curtain-stretcher, the combination with the adjustable framesection, with clamps secured thereto, lugs on the under side of eachclamp, of the stretcher'comprising the rack, the horizontal perforatedstrips, the channeled truss supported thereon, pins for anchoring thesame thereto,said truss adapted to receive the said lugs on the clamps,of the movable channeled truss in which the lugs on the opposite clampsengage, the screws pivoted thereto, the vertical posts through whichsaid screws pass and tightening-handles carried on said screws, wherebyas diagonally opposite clamps are released, the movable truss with twosides of the fabric-holding

